How Can Interactive Video Help to Engage More Viewers?

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May 4, 2017

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What is interactive video?Interactive videos the name itself defines that your audience can interact with. This means thatinstead of your video taking viewers just on a linear journey, where the only options are play,skip, and pause your video will have many different paths that users can navigate with the options you provide them.

This new “active” way to enjoy videos will make your brand more striking and help you to compete for attention in an crowded marketplace.

According to a recent “Wyzowl survey”, only 24% of marketers interviewed have used interactive video, but of these, 92% said it was an effective tool! So it’s clear that the early adopters of interactive video are happy with the results.

And what about mobile, you ask?

Mobile is definitely important in the world of video marketing. A recent report by Cisco in 2015 found that 55% of mobile traffic is accounted for video. With this in mind, it is estimated that by 2020, over 75% of global mobile data traffic will be video content.

But don’t worry:

Almost all interactive videos are created with HTML5 and use built-in responsive design to support playback in all HTML5-supporting browsers and devices, regardless of screen size.

And what about mobile, you ask?

Mobile is definitely important in the world of video marketing. A recent report by Cisco in 2015 found that 55% of mobile traffic is accounted for video. With this in mind, it is estimated that by 2020, over 75% of global mobile data traffic will be video content.

But don’t worry:

Almost all interactive videos are created with HTML5 and use built-in responsive design to support playback in all HTML5-supporting browsers and devices, regardless of screen size.

How interactive video works?

Like with any cutting edge technology, it takes some time to get your head around how interactive video works. The best way to introduce yourself with interactive video on a basic level is to head to YouTube and check out their “Annotations” tool.

Note: This tool does not work on cell phones, so I wouldn’t recommend this for business use. It’s simply a good way to get a start of the technology behind interactive videos. To get started, you have to log in to your YouTube and select the video you want to make interactive. From there, hit the “End Screen & Annotations” icon which will appear below your video near edit option:

You will be taken to the “End Screen” tab, so make sure you select “Annotations” and you’re all set to make your video interactive! Select a frame and then click “Add Annotation”. You’ll see a drop-down menu with options to choose from. In the industry, all of these annotations are referred to as “hotspots”. These are the clickable elements in your video, the parts that make it interactive.

After adding your annotation, you need to link it up to other video. This is so that when users click on the hotspot, they are taken to the next video and can continue on their interactive journey:

YouTube Annotations is free, and it’s great to play around with. But, as I said before, it won’t work on mobile; and it also won’t give you the continuous feel of the video.

For a more accessible interactive video solution, you should talk to The JIGSAW. We create all of our customers’ video content from scratch, the script, the storyboard, the animation, and, of course all of the interactive elements. And we charge a simple one-off fee.

The benefits of interactive video

1. Turning Passive Viewers into Active Ones

One of the main reasons video marketing has increased in popularity in recent years is because of how appealing it is in comparison to other marketing mediums. The combination of moving images, sound, and, in many cases, a story, is much more interesting than a motionless ad. But, having said that, the act of watching a traditional video is passive.

Interactive video is active.

It demands the full attention of the viewer because they are being asked to take part of it. In other words, it changes the attitude of viewers, from siting back, to sit up and react. The interactive video series, Lifesaver, demonstrates this shift perfectly:

By putting you in the shoes of an viewer witnessing a health crisis, and allowing you to make decisions that mean the difference between life and death, you are pulled into the story. The fact that the interactive hotspots are timed adds to the pressure. This kind of active urgency accelerates the pulse in a way that traditional video can’t, making this interactive video experience a notable one.

2. Gamification

With the rise of wearable tech and lifestyle organization apps, people are gamifying everything they can. Gamification is the process of using typical elements of gameplay point-scoring, competition, problem-solving etc. to convert boring tasks in to fun. Using interactivity, you can marry gamification with video to create an engaging experience that viewers will want to “play” again and again.

3. Trackability

The problem with non-interactive video is not just lack of data; it’s a lack of useful data.

What video metrics are you presently tracking?

The number of views?

The average watch time?

These metrics are certainly nice to have, but it is nearly impossible to link them to ROI.

With interactive video, you can track each decision that a viewer makes and use this insight to create actionable reports based on user interactions. Interactive video allows you to track:

• Click-through rates

• Submission rates (of in-video polls, questionnaires etc.)

• Engagement

• Dwell time

• Skipped sections

• Re-watched sections

• Navigation

All of this data allows you to track – in detail – the return on investment of each of your video campaigns. Not only that, the insights can also help you build a clearer picture of what your audience best responds to, informing future campaigns.

If you’re using interactive video to create a unique shopping experience, then you can also track the conversion rates of your video.

Are YOU ready for interactive video?

What do you think? Are you in?

You should be. 43% of businesses plan to use interactive video in 2017. If you want to keep up,